Grey Destiny: An Old Republic Story
by Ingaith
Summary: Over a thousand years before the Clone Wars, in the era of the Old Republic, the JEDI-SITH WAR is drawing to a close. After Jedi victories in several key battles, the remaining Sith have hidden themselves and are operating from the shadows.
1. Chapter 1

**I - The Duel in the Dark**

Jay was not afraid of the dark. He knew the possibility of danger lurking in the shadows, and accepted the fact. Fear was dangerous, so he tried to cast the very possibility of it from his mind. For fear led only to the dark side. Still, it was hard not to be nervous, as there was absolutely no light. They had only the cave walls and the Force to guide them. He wondered if his master was at all afraid, or nervous, or whatever this feeling was. No, of course not. The old Quarren always remained calm and stoic, regardless of any peril they faced. The apprentice could only hope to be as steady as his master one day.

As they finally reached the end of their section of tunnel, the young man felt Master Setava place a firm hand on his shoulder, and spoke for the first time since the pair had descended.

"Hold, young one. I feel something, a presence." The Padawan reached out with his mind, searching for what his master had found with the Force.

And he found it. Deeper, far deeper, but strong enough to be sensed from where the Jedi stood. It was a life form, cold and angry, and the Force was with it.

"I feel it as well." the Padawan said, hoping none of his anxiety found its way into his voice. "Is it a Sith?"

"I have no doubt. Two of them. They tend to travel in pairs, like us."

Two Sith? Jay reached out again, and indeed, there was a second being. A smaller, weaker force, almost eclipsed by the other Sith, but it shared the same anger as the first. _A Sith apprentice_ , Jay thought. A poor, lost soul. Not for the first time, he was grateful for the way his own life had turned out.

"Master, what are the Sith doing here?" Setava was quiet for a moment, then spoke in his usual solemn demeanor.

"They must be after the tablet. Or they have already found it, and stand as its guards. Whatever the case, they are close, to it and us, and will surely attack should they find us."

Now the Padawan's mind began to race. Could they defend themselves against the Sith? Was he ready? He had faced danger, but never on this scale. He was unsure, and afraid.

No doubt sensing the thoughts of his apprentice, the master spoke words of comfort in the familiar, soothing, slightly slurred voice of his people.

"Do not fret, young one. Fear turns into anger, and anger consumes and destroys even the brightest. You need not fear the Sith, for I will face them alone."

"What?! No, Master, I-"

"There is no shame in retreat, if you are not ready. Go, back to the ship. Alert the Council of this threat. I will venture forth and retrieve the tablet by myself."

Jay shook his head, forgetting the darkness that hid the action, emerald eyes filled with worry. "You cannot! You are one against two!"

He sensed rather than saw the four tentacles that hung over the masters faced wiggled slightly. A Quarren smile. Setava's were few, but warm. "Do you doubt my abilities, young one?"

"Against these odds, yes."

"You need not tell me the odds. Now go. I will be fine."

The worry had left the young man's eyes and was replaced with stubborn determination. He had made his decision, it was clear. "I am not afraid anymore, Master. The dark side is no match for the light, however strong these dark ones believe they are. Together, we can defeat the Sith. I will join you."

Setava was silent in thought. The boy - though Jay was nearly twenty, he would only ever think of him as a boy - had developed a certain maturity, something most individuals, even Jedi, lacked at his age. He was incredibly strong in the Force, much more so than the old Quarren was at that age. And his skills with a lightsaber were excellent. Yes, he was ready.

"This will be your toughest trial yet, young one. You must clear your mind of all doubts. Believe in yourself, and the Force, and it will guide you."

Jay nodded. He was not backing down. He would face the Sith, with his master at his side and the Force flowing through him. He was ready.

The two Jedi followed the tunnel down, and after what felt like ages, they reached a large cavern. The ceiling was fifteen meters above them, and the walls stretched out far into the dark. At the other end of the entrance was a stone staircase leading still further down, lit dimly by a faint red light, no doubt coming from below. What concerned the Jedi, though, were the room's occupants.

The sinister light cast two shadows, illuminating two figures, like statues in the center of the room. One was tall and masculine, with broad shoulders and thick, muscular limbs. The other was slimmer and shorter, most likely female. The cold, angry feeling from earlier was almost overwhelming now. _These must be the Sith_. As he reached for his saber, his master placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Yield, young one. I wish to speak to them."

"What was that? You always were a quiet one, Master Squid." The new voice boomed across the room, deep and dangerous. The voice's owner, the tall man, began to slowly advance towards the two. While it was still hard to see, the Padawan could make out a dark cloak, flowing behind the man as he approached. His apprentice soon followed, and Jay could feel eyes watching him, sizing him up.

The Jedi Master called out to the man, who the young man assumed to be the Sith lord.

"I recognize that arrogant voice anywhere, Rojen Varr."

"Rojen Varr? I abandoned that name when the Jedi abandoned me. It's Darth Atros now." The man and his lesser stopped, perhaps fifteen four or five meters from the Jedi, in a stance that conveyed that conflict was not far.

Jay did not expect the chuckle from his master. "Atros? That's almost as ridiculous as Darth. But yes, congratulations on becoming a Sith Lord, Varr. You always did crave recognition and titles." Setava spoke as if he knew the man, whose rage was strong enough to sense without even reaching out with the force. Now the apprentice was truly afraid.

"Who is this ancient fool, who thinks he can talk ill of the Sith? Say the word my lord, and I will slice his throat with my saber." The female's voice was surprisingly calm despite the ferocity of the her words. The accent was strange; sophisticated yet seductive, with a faint rumble. Jay thought it familiar, but couldn't quite place a name with it. He was not sure how the voice made him feel, but he certainly did not like it.

The threats of the woman seemed only to amuse her companion. "Noira, this is Jedi Master Setava. He sat on the High Council when I was still a knight, and was an avid supporter of my expulsion from the Order." The Padawan could almost taste the bitter hatred in the statement. _Rojen Varr_ , he pondered. _I've heard that name before, I know it. But where?_ Atros raised his arm and gestured towards the female. "Setava, this is my apprentice Noira. Her Chiss name is much longer and more dramatic, but Noira suits her fine. I plucked her from a Core World, with the intention of using her as a slave, until I learned she was Force-sensitive. She has served me well, in many ways, ever since. " The dark apprentice gave a mock bow, causing the Sith to chuckle. "Ever the performer."

A Chiss. That would explain the accent. Jay studied her for only a moment before returning his attention to the Sith Lord, who spoke once more.

"Enough about us. Who's your little pet? I'd like to know who I'm killing today."

Angered by the humiliating title, Jay took a step forward in spite of his fear."My name is Jay, and no one is dying today. Not by your hand, at least." He sounded braver than he felt.

The cave-filling laughter from the two Sith did nothing to boost the youth's confidence. "Did you hear, Noira? The mighty _Jay_ is here to battle us! We wouldn't want to disappoint him, now would we?"

The apprentice reached down to her thigh and retrieved a slim lightsaber. "I think not, my lord."

Laughter, again from Atros. "Then the die is cast, and once again I will spill the blood of the Jedi!"

Three sinister hisses, the trademark sounds of ignition from Sith lightsabers, preceded the light from the sabers. Two came from the master, whose dual sabers intimidated the young one. In the dark cave room, the new light was almost blinding. It did not slow either of the Jedi, however, from quickly brandishing lightsabers of their own. Blue and green light flowed into the room with a pair of snaps. The time for talk was over. The battle had begun.

It seemed natural that Atros would fight Setava, and Jay would duel the apprentice. He lost sight of his master as he and the Chiss began to circle each other, slowly, in a timeless ritual. The light of the sabers illuminated Noira's face, briefly revealing a portrait of his opponent. The voice matched the face - the woman was beautiful and deadly, with the dark blue skin and deep, red eyes of her race. Dark hair, tied back, ran long past her shoulders. Her face was regal, her bones defined and sharp. Jay quickly refocused, all thoughts of combat gone from his mind. This was no ordinary woman; this was a Sith, his opponent, who would take any chance she could to kill him.

The first chance was upon them. The woman lunged forward, her blade darting fast at his heart. He was barely able to bring up his own in time, deflecting the attack ungracefully. He followed soon with a counterattack, two quick cuts from either side. The Chiss blocked both with ease, then returned to the offensive. Slowly moving back, Jay held his sapphire sword firmly with both hands, recalling the training exercises of years past. He guarded against all of Noira's attempts, analyzing her strategy all the while. _This one is fast_. She moved with noble grace, fighting like a fencer, hitting fast with light blows from all angles. Her saber complimented her style, as it appeared thinner than his own. He would need to be careful around this one.

The sudden explosion of sound from across the room reminded him that they were not alone. Clash after rapid clash, each echoing off the stone walls of their arena, the two masters must have begun fighting with all their might. Jay could not afford to watch, though, for his opponent was not at all distracted by the other battle.

Noira was relentless, tireless in her attacks. Blow after blow, for what felt like eternity, the Sith apprentice advanced, looking for any opening in the Jay's guard. The Padawan was not enduring as effectively. The pounding of his heart against his chest, and the air struggling in his lungs told him this. He needed to recuperate. Thinking fast, he parried an overhead slash and threw forth his left hand. With minimal effort he called on the Force, pushing forward. An unexpected move, for sure, as Noira flew backwards several meters, landing on her back with a solid slam against the cold floor. Knowing he had only a few seconds of rest, Jay's mind began to race, desperately, and unsuccessfully attempting to form a new strategy.

 _What do I do? Attack? Defend? Call for help? No. This fight is my own. I can win, but how?_ Noira was up now, gesturing at him with her lightsaber. She cursed at Jay, though not in any language he knew. It was do or die now, with the Chiss stepping forward, back into a battle stance. Still without a plan, Jay began to panic, thinking rapidly.

 _Do not think._

Jay almost whipped his head around when he heard his master's voice, before realizing it came without sound. Telepathy? This was new. Setava had never reached out to him with such coherent words. Could he respond in kind? Did he even have time to? Would this-

 _Stop thinking. Act!_

Jay acted.

The Padawan lept forward with a hard right cut. Noira, taken aback by the sudden aggression, sprung back to avoid being sliced in half. She barely raised her saber in time to block his next attack, a swift strike from above. Holding their sabers together in the age-old clash, the Chiss took her first look of the young man she fought. His eyes, striking pools of green, had an odd look to them. There was no emotion in his face - no doubt, no rage. Surprising, considering the harshness of his fighting. She wondered where this newfound vigor came from.

The lightsabers pushed against each other, red and blue, fighting for dominance. The Sith apprentice threw all her weight into the struggle, slowly but surely pushing Jay's saber back towards him. Still, no worry crossed his face. Just as things appeared to be swinging in Noira's favor, Jay effortlessly shoved her blade away and slammed the pommel of his saber into the bridge of her nose. Staggering back, she reached up to her face, and her fingers came back, blue stained crimson. This was immensely frustrating for the girl - this seemingly random surge of power was beginning to prove troublesome. She hated this boy already, hated the fact that he was even still standing at this point. She took some solace in the idea of her hate empowering her, spurring her on to destroy this fool.

Jay advanced, saber held at his side in traditional battle stance. Noira raised hers to a point, ready to take on her opponent. They both paused, however, at the loud sounds coming from across the cave. At first, Jay thought it a roar - some ancient, underground beast awoken by the fury of combat - but after further listening, it appeared that Atros's primal shouts were the source of all the noise. Though the two youths had largely ignored the duel between their masters, an unspoken truce, albeit temporary, formed as the pair turned to watch the spectacle unfold.

The deadly dance was a sight to behold; two artisans of their craft fighting to the death. Atros's twin blades flew like vipers, darting in and out, slashing erratically. The Quarren fought like he lived - calmly, almost lazily. He was deaf to the Sith Lord's cackling and cursing, blocking slash after slash without hesitation, never counterattacking. In the lulls between Atros's rambling, he would softly speak to the ex-Jedi. Jay could not hear all of what his teacher was saying, but phrases like "all is not lost" and "we can still help you, Varr". _Even in combat, he still tries to help._ Jay was not at all surprised by the generosity of his master. The fight continued on, one and one, light and dark. Neither showed any signs of faltering, and this was apparently frustrating for the Sith. A loud crashed echoed throughout the cavern, as both of Atros's sabers slammed against Setava's own. Setava held his blade out, with Atros in front and to his right. His scarlet sabers pressed hard against the Jedi's green one, the Quarren struggling against the might of Darth Atros.

The man once called Rojen belted out yet another roaring laugh. "You are nothing, Squidhead! I will rip your arms from their sockets and feed them to your apprentice! Surrender, and I'll make his death quick. Resist and I'll give him the same torture I will bring down on you."

"Empty threats, Rojen. I will not falter now, not with the Force on my side." Setava's words were steady, unlike his lightsaber. They only seemed to enrage the dark lord further.

"Your side?! The Force is _not_ with you, Master Jedi, despite what you phony priests preach. The Force is with me - it is mine, a tool, a weapon that I shall use to destroy every last one of you. Nothing can stop the Sith. Do you hear me? NOTHING!"

The undeniable hatred in Atros's words exploded across the room. Jay could feel pure anger and dark energy flowing through the man. Atros gave a particularly vicious shout and pushed against Setava's saber with all his strength. The sheer force of the larger man, combined with two lightsabers pressing into his own, caused the Jedi to falter, if only for a moment.

A moment was all Atros needed.

He quickly slid the blade in his left hand down the length of Setava's, moving fast towards the handle. With nothing to stop it's rapid movement, it sliced through the Quarren's hand, removing the thumb-like tentacle and parts of other digits. With a howel only his race's lungs could create, Setava dropped his saber, and it clinked, disengaged, onto the stone floor. Atros roared like a beast, victorious, and switched off his left saber.

"NO!" Jay screamed, spurred on by instinct and thoughtless rage, and sprinted towards the kneeling old Jedi. His path would soon be stopped - an inhuman, almost catlike leap from Noira placed her directly between her opponent and her master. Not remotely tired by the flip, the Chiss hissed a challenge at the young apprentice.

"Not so fast, Jedi scum. Your fight is with me." Jay's glare took all of her confidence, however, as the previous innocence and curiosity behind his eyes were replace with blind fury. He slowed to a walk, but did not stop on his path to Atros.

"Move." His voice was low, and dark. Noira shook away the chills it gave her, and charged. Jay, still moving, merely pointed at her and then flicked his hand away. Quick and simple, the Sith girl was lifted off the floor and thrown ten meters across the room. She was quickly forgotten as he closed the distance between himself and his new adversary.

His master was still kneeling, his left hand clutching at what remained of his right. Setava looked up as he heard his apprentice approached. He shook his head and muttered something about going back to the ship before Jay spoke.

"Master! Are you alright?"

The soft chuckle from the Quarren was all the answer he needed. "Yes, young one. Are you?". Even in great pain, Setava worried about others, never himself.

"Fine, master. Don't worry, I will get us out of here." Setava's pale eyes twinkled as he thought, eyeing his apprentice all the while.

"Yes, I believe you will. But you must believe it yourself before you can succeed."

Atros, having been silent for once during the exchange, stepped from behind the Jedi Master and stretched out his arms mockingly, his saber glowing sinisterly.

"Oh yes, belief and love and hope is all you need, Padawan, and not even I could stop you. Go on, see how far the Jedi ways get you. I'll spare you the trouble - it gets you nowhere, except a boring life or an early grave. Do you want either? Or do you want power, wealth and longevity? You could go far as a Sith, with your natural abilities. Such potential..."

"Sith propaganda will not sway me, Atros. I am a Jedi, now and forever."

For what seemed like the hundredth time, Atros laughed. "Oh, how eloquent. Your forever ends here, then. A shame, really, because from what I observed of your battle you could be an even more efficient tool than Noira. You are a more than competent fighter, and your skills with the Force are… impressive. Most impressive. You really would choose death as a Jedi, rather than life as a powerful, unstoppable Sith?" Jay's response was to raise his lightsaber and shift into a battle stance.

"Fine. Die then. But let's make this a little more interesting!" Atros growled, moving around behind Setava. Jay quickly realized that something bad was about to happen. He began to move, but he was too slow. Atros grabbed his master by the back of his neck, lifted him off his knees and high into the air, and stabbed the Jedi through the back. Jay opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. It felt like all the air had been torn from his lungs. Setava crumpled back to the ground, silent. Atros moved between the young man and his master, took out his left lightsaber and switched it on, and spoke once more.

"Did that surprise you? Good. You seemed a little too comfortable. Now our duel has stakes. You'll be fighting time as well as myself. Old Squidface here yet lives - the heat from my lightsaber cauterized his wound. He won't bleed out, but if he isn't helped he may die of an infection. Or maybe organ failure. Who knows? Needless to say, I think you should get him out of here. But of course, you'll have to kill me to do that. And I promise you, that won't be happening."

Jay felt tears coming to his eyes, and tried his hardest to blink them away. _Jedi do not cry._ "Why? Why make him suffer like this?"

"Would you rather me kill him now? No, I didn't think so. Besides, watching the man who helped expel me die, painfully, slowly...I love it!" Atros's voice was filled with sadistic glee. Jay could stand by no longer. The dark lord would pay for his actions.

"Monster!" Jay shouted as he lept into the air, slashing down at Atros. His opponent blocked the cut and returned with ferocious attacks. On the defensive again, Jay backed up, as Atros fought with two sabers that whirled quickly in wide, dangerous circles. As he blocked, parried, and blocked again, Jay got his first look at the Sith master.

The man was huge, probably a little over two meters tall. His attire consisted of a black, flowing hooded cloak that partially covered his armor; the latter was made out of dark material that seemed to be the pelt of some alien creature. He had thrown back the hood, revealing flowing black curls and a deathly pale face - unnaturally, inhumanly pale. Atros must have been in this cave a long time. A dark red tattoo stretched across the length of his face, just below his eyes. His face was pulled back in a hideous grin; his yellow fang-like teeth completed his beastly appearance. He flicked his blades back and forth, swinging wide and stabbing fast, fighting with an unpredictable style that threw Jay off and forced him to give up ground. Atros's skills backed up his boasts, and his acrobatic and animal-like techniques made full use of Jay's inexperience.

Jay repelled the Sith Lord - to the best of his abilities - with a form the Jedi had named Soresu. It was a defensive form, built around letting the opponent dictate the flow of battle while the user adapted and countered. An effective form against aggressors like Atros, but the man was much faster than Jay had expected, so it took all of his ability just to stay alive, much less observe and learn and respond. He began to slow his breathing, attuning himself more and more to the Force. As his body and mind opened up as a vessel to the Force, as he slowly slipped back into this state he didn't understand, his last thoughts were of his master.

Noira raised her head from the floor and looked around. Her flight was so fast she barely comprehended what happened. Jay had obviously not considered her a threat, tossing her away like a broken toy. _What power,_ she thought. _I never expected him to be this strong in the Force. He may be more skilled than Lord Atros._ She finally found her lightsaber, a yard or so from where she landed. After calling it to her hand, she looked out across the empty darkness and found what she was looking for. Three lights; one blue, two red. The Jedi, and her master. The lights were moving fast, rapidly clashing in a flurry of sparks. _How is it possible that he is even alive? Lord Atros is a lightsaber master!_ Noira doubted that her master needed her help, glorious as he was, but she wanted to see this boy bleed for humiliating her. She began crossing the cave, occasionally stumbling due to the pain in her side. Noira told herself she had landed on a rock, trying not to consider the possibility that the sheer power of Jay's Force-push had not bruised her ribcage. As she approached the two men, she wondered if she would be any help to her master in this fight.

She slowed her advance as she neared the battle. The Jedi apprentice was doing that _thing_ again, with his eyes half-closed and his movements quick and inhuman. He knew where to block before her master even swung. Of course, she knew of the sense of premonition the Force granted its wielders, she used it herself even, but his was too strong, especially against an opponent who was using the Force himself. Atros swung his two blades at Jay, from each side, and Jay simply jumped, effortlessly flipping over the Sith and attacked fast, incredibly fast. The dark lord blocked just in time, narrowly avoiding a stab in the back. Jay continued his assault, almost lazily, shifting the flow of combat into his favor as Atros was forced to defend against a completely different opponent. Noira stepped forward ready to strike, when a growl from Atros stopped her.

"No! I will kill this boy myself. If you dare deprive me of this glory, I will make you suffer!"

Noira was taken aback - but she shouldn't have. Her master frequently snapped and raged at her. She never blamed him - such was the path of the dark side, of true power. Noira stepped back and resigned herself to watching the duel.

And what a feast for the eyes it was. The young Jedi moved with impossible speed, easily keeping up with Atros's two sabers. It was clear that in this state, the boy was at the very least her master's equal. _This may not be an easy fight._

Jay, as usual, was only half aware of what was going on when he let the Force take over. He wasn't exactly sure how he did this, or if it was even safe, but he knew that it could save his life, so he accepted and embraced the unknown. He saw light, red and blue, moving fast. He heard water dripping in the cave, and a low hum from far down below, and four different breaths, here in this room.

One was heavy, weary from battle.

Another was quick, short. Signs of injury in the lungs, or nerves. Or both.

A third, farther away, was slow, fading.

The last was steady. Deep. His own.

Jay saw - no, felt, an opening. The Force was showing him something. Atros's chest and neck area was guarded by his constantly moving lightsabers, but his face was never covered by the blades. He quickly moved forward, slipping out of his semi-consciousness and slicing up at Atros. The unexpected slice cut open the Sith's face and tore through his left eye. The master howled and dropped one lightsaber, and the open hand flew up to cover his new wound. Noira screamed, farther away than Jay expected. He looked around groggily, shaking away the feelings of the Force surrounding him. He hadn't been aware of much of the battle, so the blow was as surprising for him as it was for the two Sith. Atros picked himself off the ground, with only one lightsaber and filled with absolute hatred. The cut had apparently been shallow, as a deep one would've hit brain and killed the man. No, this was most likely only skin deep; painful, but survivable. Atros was not laughing now. He lowered his saber, and without ever taking his eye off Jay, he called out to his apprentice.

"Noira. We're leaving. Now."

The young Chiss looked confused. "But master, the tablet -"

"NOW!" he roared. He turned and swiftly strode through the dark, Noira moving behind as fast as he could.

"I don't think so, Atros!" Jay called as he extended his hand skyward. Neither Sith could be pulled - they had already moved too far from him - but he could block their path. He concentrated, breathed calmly, and began to pull with the Force. With a loud grumble, numerous stalactites fell from the ceiling high above. Atros hurried his pace, fleeing towards some unseen exit. Noira struggled to keep up.

"Jay..." A weak voice called from afar.

"Master!" Jay ran towards the Quarren, all thoughts of the Sith fading as he approached Setava, who lay defeated on the ground.

Noira didn't even remember where this secret entrance was. She hobbled hurriedly behind her master, who showed no signs of slowing. Stalactites still fell, larger rocks and chunks of the ceiling coming with them. She saw Atros reach the crevice, and he began to slide in. She opened her mouth to call out to him, to tell him to wait, but all that came out was a scream as she felt her leg explode in terrible pain and then quickly go numb. She fell on to the ground, trapped under a heavy stone. "Master!"

Atros, halfway into the secret tunnel, looked back. A smile crossed his face as he spoke.

"You were a good tool, Chiss." He then turned and faded into the dark of the cave. Noira's last thoughts before passing out were filled with confusion, sadness, and anger.


	2. Chapter 2

**II - Prodigy**

 _Yandera_

It was a warm spring day in the city of Dea Mor, and the marketplace was alive with the sounds of vendors awing crowds with strange and colorful products from far away worlds. It was the start of the trading season, as a break in the asteroid field allowed more and more ships to fly in. From across the galaxy merchants came to the planet Yandera, specifically Dea Mor, the capital, to buy and sell various goods. Located in the Colonies, a region of planets roughly halfway between the Core Worlds and the Inner Rim, where travellers from across the galaxy could meet, relax, and stock up, Yandera was second only to Coruscant in trade. As such the small planet had become extremely wealthy in the few years since it had been incorporated into the Republic. While the slums of the capital city held poverty - as did every economic powerhouse - much of the population resided in luxurious manors on high cliffs overlooking the many lakes of the planet's surface. The manors, often made of white, clean marble, were tall and filled with colorful windows.

In one such manor lived a particularly successful couple of investors - a middle-aged man who climbed through the ranks of a cross-galaxy shipping company, Tri-Rim Co., and eventually bought it, and his wife, a former Republic record keeper. The two lived comfortably with their young child, a healthy happy boy and the pride of their life, even more so than their fortune.

While the two were out negotiating a trade deal with a neighboring planet, a regiment of servants and nurses tended to the child and kept the house in proper conditions. On this day, however, things would take a turn for the unexpected. Yes, the trading season brought customers and wealth to the city, bit it also brought in a less than desirable commodity - thieves. Cities like Dea Mor were fruit ripe for the picking of those who preferred to make their fortunes illegitimately. As the wide eyed consumers wandered the shops and stalls, deft-fingered pickpockets reaped credit after credit. Some preferred to go for the bigger jewels, though. A small team of notorious burglars named the Golden Fingers, recently sprung from the prisons of Coruscant by their leader, Lucan the Lucky, had stowed away on a Republic freighter and now prowled the High District, the wealthiest part of the city. Their mission: loot the mansions and get away with enough money to rebuild their organization.

Once in the High District, the Fingers had a bit of a problem - several guards patrolled the area, and each manor had its own sets of hired hands that defended the homes from undesirables like Lucan. One such home, however, had an exploitable security weakness; the cliffside balcony, overlooking the nearby Lake Tia, remained unguarded. Lucan and his crew scaled the rocky cliff face using stolen grappling equipment, unbeknownst to the guards and waiting staff of the home.

Lucan pulled himself over the railing, waiting for the rest of his men to follow. As his second-in-command brought up the rear, the master thief silently signaled for the team to begin their route. Lucan used a small laser to break the lock on the balcony door, and his party entered the split into two groups, scouring the floors and rooms, taking anything and everything of value. They cleaned the place out, avoiding the oblivious waiting staff all the while, leaving no treasure behind without ever alerting the staff. The last room to be looted was the master bedroom, which had it's own pair of guards. They were Wookies - mercenaries and bodyguards were common professions for those of the powerful species that preferred to travel - and each carried a spear in their hands and a blaster on their hips. Tough opponents, for sure, but Lucan had a history of avoiding fights altogether. From his position, perched on a chandelier high above the two, he retrieved a small metal orb from his bag, and tossed it on the floor between the guards. Before they could react, the orb exploded into a crowd of green gas, knocking out the pair in seconds. Lucan smirked and dropped down to the floor, successful once again.

He and his followers crept into the bedroom, a large, extravagant affair. A light blue theme, prevalent throughout the house, was especially noticeable in this room; the curtains, sheets and even the decorations all had a similar coloration, one that reminded Lucan of the lake surface far below. As his pupils began to strip the room of the various paintings, vases, and other decor, Lucan was intrigued by a door on the far left side, slightly ajar, like it had just been open. He slowly walked over to the door, careful not to make any noise. Slowly pulling the door open, he found a small adjoining room, accessible from anywhere else in the house. It was fairly simple, compared to the master bedroom. A child's crib lay in the center of the room, with a few toys and paintings scattered around. A baby's room.

Lucan was not concerned by any of this. It was all worthless, or at least of too little value to be worth taking up space in whatever ship they stole to get off the planet. No, Lucan was more concerned with the sight in the middle of the room - a frightened young Twi'lek, obviously a nurse, throwing herself in front of the crib as a shield in spite of her fear. Now, Lucan was no kidnapper, but a child from an obviously wealthy family could ransom for thousands, potentially millions of credits. That was enough money to rebuild his guild. The Golden Fingers could reclaim their place at the top of the criminal underworld. He had to take the child, for the sake of his legacy - no harm would come to it, of course, as long as the Fingers were paid - and they surely would be.

Lucan had taken a second too long to think - the Twi'lek was opening her mouth to scream. That would not do at all. Stepping forward swifty, Lucan used the palm of his hand to strike the wailing Twi'lek maid in the head twice in rapid succession. As she crumpled to the ground, unconscious, he threw her limp body aside and reached into the crib. A young boy, no older than two or three, stared back with large green eyes. The thief attempted a smile, so as not to startle the boy, but the toddler was not fooled. (It didn't help that Lucan had a smile about as friendly as a Nexu's. Gold teeth apparently wasn't the most comforting for the baby.) He did what most children would've done: A half scream, half cry, that rang Lucan's ears. It was much louder than he expected, strangely loud, the pain making Lucan close his eyes. The child screamed again, and when Lucan opened his eyes he found himself against the far wall, a shattered vase beside him. How was he all the way over here? The Twi'lek could not have thrown him, she was too weak… and of course, of course not the child?

"Captain, are you alright?" said his second, who walked into the room after hearing the baby's cries and a loud _thud_. The toddler screamed once more, and the lieutenant flew out the door he came, thrown back by the force of the scream.

The lieutenant was thrown back by _the force of the baby's scream._

Yes, it seemed it was the child. This was impossible. A furious Lucan struggled to his feet, and leapt at the crib, desperate to end the struggle. A fourth and final scream came from the boy, and as Lucan flew against the wall, he wondered how in the world a baby was his downfall. His head slammed into the wall again, and he woke up in a Dea Moran jail.

 _Coruscant_

"Is it true?"

"What?"

"This child, the rumors. Are they true?"

"Oh, the Yanderan boy? Well he's sensitive, at least. That much we know."

"But one so young? The soldiers say he took down some of the Fingers with his voice."

"Please. They're exaggerating. The boy must've alerted a guard, but I doubt he's utilizing the Force. The youngest we've seen was around seven or eight, in you-know-who.

"But even he was being watched from birth. We'd never even heard of this boy. How is that possible? This one is dangerously powerful."

"Indeed, he is."

'Oh! Master Mogo!"

The two Jedi Knights turned to see Gar Mogo, the Master that was head of the Jedi Academy, the facility to train Jedi younglings.

"I trust you two are not discussing classified information, here in a place so public."

It was true, the area was not as private as the young Knights had thought: Coruscant Interplanetary Flight Station Delta, Platform B was not exactly optimal for discussing important Republic and Jedi business. The platform jutted out from the rest of the station, suspended over a glass floor - the only thing between the bottom of the hanger and the surface of Coruscant. That, and about 100 meters of air.

The first Jedi, the taller of the two, spoke up first to defend him and his shorter friend.

"No, sir! My companion and I were just trying to make sense of this whole situation while we waited for the ships to arrive. We're escorting them,but I'm sure you knew that. We were just wondering... sir, are the rumors true?"

Mogo rubbed his large, blue-green forehead, deep in thought. "You know, I really should not be talking about this with you two. It was not so long ago that you were as young as this child."

The two Knights looked at each other, and the shorter Knight responded slowly.

"Master… the two of us are almost thirty…"

The Instructor chuckled. 'Ah yes…Well, you are young to me. I have been training youngling after youngling for so long, and the years here are longer than they are on Duro. Ah, never the mind. Here comes the shuttle now, and I suppose it would be rude to leave you so soon."

The shuttle had arrived, and a few ships with it. Three Republic fighters guarded a small, armed shuttle usually used for civilian escort. Delta Station was close to a Republic barrack, so it was not uncommon for military ships to be seen, but this group held a special cargo. The shuttle landed on the small platform where the three Jedi stood. The doors slid open and out walked a team of six soldiers, who flanked their captain. The leader held a small boy, no older than two, who was wrapped in a blue blanket made from some offworld silk.

"Instructor Mogo? Pleased to see you, but the briefing said two Jedi would escort us."

"Greetings, Captain. Yes, these two young gentlemen, as empty-headed as they may appear, would have done a fine job taking you to the Temple on their own, but as I was in the area I have decided to accompany you all. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, sir. An extra hand is always helpful, especially if that hand holds a lightsaber."

Gar Mogo laughed, and the whole party began the trek to the Jedi Temple. Taking backroads from the station to the Temple, the path took them up, giving them a view of the planet's surface far below. Coruscant had once been a very generic planet, with several landamsses and much water. However, in the years of its position as capital of the Republic, the city had been extremely urbanized. Approximately 85% of the planet surface was encompassed by Galactic City, the old capital. Endless cityscape stretched out as far as the little party could see. Tall buildings rose high in to the sky, with small personal ships and speeder bikes flying fast between them. Over them all loomed the enormous Jedi Temple, and not far from it, the new Capitol Building, replacing the old one the Sith had destroyed during their brief reign over the planet.

During the tumultuous years of the Jedi-Sith War, Coruscant changed hands twice. Since its foundation, the Republic had used Coruscant as its base of operation. The capital also hosted the Jedi Temple when the two factions had allied long ago. However, during the Battle for Coruscant, the Sith took over the planet, and tore down the temple and the Capitol Building. After a few years of this dark rule, the Liberation of Coruscant by the Jedi and the Republic dorve out the Sith. The Jedi tore down the Sith shrine and rebuilt their half-ruined Temple. That battle was not too long ago. Though a new building had been formed, and talks of a Republic Senate were in the works, the galactic government had not formerly re-established Coruscant as the capital, though it was the defacto center for Republic military and government.

This extensive history was not easy to decipher on first glance; the Galactic City and it's beautiful expanse presented the idea that the planet had always been as prosperous as it looked. Jedi and Republic soldier walked along its streets and through its buildings frequently, as they did now with Master Gar Mogo and his escort. It did not take long for the talk to return to the matter at hand. The Captain asked the question that everyone had waited for:

"Master Mogo, when my men and I were assigned this extraction, I was told that this boy was...special. And while he's got quite the pair of eyes, he just looks like a regular toddler to me. Is he as strong in the Force as the whispers say?"

"Whispers? And I thought this mission was supposed to be secret. It's Knights like these two that ruin all the mystery of our order. But yes, Captain, this boy is special. He will be a powerful man one day, that much is certain. It is the duty of the Jedi Order, and this Republic, to make sure that all of this potential is channeled into a force that can benefit the galaxy, and to not let it be corrupted and used against us by our enemies. We have seen a scenario quite similar to this before, Captain, not that I need to remind you. A long, long time ago. We must make sure that this plays out much better."

The captain nodded solemnly. The immense headquarters of the mysterious Order loomed over them, displaying numerous white banners with the Jedi symbol proudly Duros Jedi was obviously done discussing the matter, so the party continued on to the Jedi Temple, where the boy would be examined and judged.

And judged he was. The boy, who was surprisingly calm despite the strange setting, was scoured over by a plethora of physicians and Jedi. Evaluated through several tests, the boy was found to be in exceptional condition, and his Force powers seemed strong indeed. The toddler was brought before the Jedi High Council. The twelve Jedi, all old and elite, each held the boy for a short while, studying him and gently probing his mind with the Force. It all looked quite odd to the Captain, who accompanied the boy everywhere as his personal guardian. Old men and women, of all species, raising this boy in their arms and giving him odd looks. The captain thought the boy reacted well; laughing and occasionally spitting up in the face of the Jedi. Whenever that happened, the captain struggled to keep in a struggle. Finally, after much deliberation, the final Jedi to hold the boy, Grand Master Caelin, handed the boy back to the captain with a short, powerful message:

"We have accepted him. He shall be a Jedi."

 _Ilum_

Six children took the trip to Ilum for the annual Gathering. The icy planet had been home to the ancient trial ever since the practice was created. Younglings were accompanied by a Jedi to the Jedi Temple on Ilum to face several mental and physical trials. Several years prior, the ship the _Crucible_ had been constructed specifically for this purpose, which now carried the six younglings. Instructor Gar Mogo himself accompanied the younglings, for there were a few students of note who were about to begin the quest for kyber crystals. The first was Keiran, an orphan from the Outer Rim, who no one but the Jedi had wanted. Strong in the Force he was, but a tendency for being alone, which was often a trait of the Sith. Gar had to be extra nurturing for this one - or find the boy some friends.

When the ship had landed and the party of Master and younglings had departed, the Instructor began his speech. "Alright, students. Today is the day. You will venture into the ice caves for your crystals, that you shall soon craft into your lightsabers. Some of you may fail, and others will succeed easily. You must rely on each other, yourselves, and above all else, the Force.

"I will be accompanying you, of course, but only for emergency protection. This is your first step towards independence. Use what you have learned in the Academy, what the other masters and I have taught you, and all will turn out well."

All the children looked nervous, as expected. All except one. The boy named Jay, the prodigy, the boy Mogo had hoped deliver to the council five years ago. He was smiling bright, like he always had. Mogo just hopped that in his eagerness he didn't accidentally slip into a hole in the caves.

The third of the trio the Instructor had special notes on was Larrel. Larrel was, despite being the least talked about, the most curious of cases. He had come to the Temple as a child, given by poor parents who could not afford to keep him. Originally being raised to work with the droids to maintain and clean the temple, he was found to be Force-sensitive and joined the Jedi Academy. His powers were not especially strong - it took two attempts to even detect them - but strangely, this did not hinder his skills with the training saber. Larrel often scored lower marks on the tests, but physically speaking, though he was very thin, he was the best of his class. _This one will be an interesting to watch,_ thought the Instructor.

The trial began shortly after the speech, with the children taking off in search of crystals. Mogo followed behind them, noting that this group seemed especially unsuccessful. They often shrieked at the various artificial hazards, and none seemed to be using their brains. Each of them slipped on the ice at least. None of them attempted teamwork, bar the usual outlier.

Jay could have gone far ahead, perhaps all the way to the crystals, on his own. The boy's natural efficiency of the Force was second to none for his age; Keiran was the only one who came close. The trials and barriers meant to slow or stop the younglings were trivial inconveniences for the prodigy. However, Jay had stopped, and was conversing with Larrel, the boy farthest behind. Jay was on a ledge looking down at Larrel, the only boy unable to reach the top.

"You just need to stop concentrating. Jump in the air and just relax, and let the Force take you up. It's not so bad."

Larrel was on the verge of tears he had failed so many times, but the young boy was nothing if not determined. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply for a few moments, and jumped, and as Gar Mogo watched from afar, Larrel did jump much higher, although he was just a bit short of the mark. Jay, fortunately, saw the misstep and grabbed Larrel's arm as he reached the peak of his leap and pulled him up the rest of the way. The two fell over, got up, laughed and hugged. Mogo smiled, knowing he had just witnessed the birth of a friendship.

At Larrel's (admittedly slow) pace, the new friends made it to the end and each received a kyber crystal. Keiran was there already, cradling a green crystal in his hands like a firebug. He looked up at Jay, who smiled big at him.

"Hello there! My name is Jay and this is my best friend Larrel! Who are you?"

Keira was stunned by Jay's bluntness, especially due to the fact that friendship was foreign to him. Larrel, too, was stunned to have already become his "best friend". Seeing as neither Jay or Larrel had any other friends, however, it seemed reasonable. The loner brushed some blonde hair away from his eyes and spoke in a small voice.

"Hello, my name is Keiran. Are we the only two to reach the end?"

"Yes. The other three have been sent back to the ship." The new voice was Gar Mogo, who entered the cave with a small smile. "The three of you should congratulate yourselves; you are on the path to becoming Jedi."

Larrel, already having an emotional day, burst into tears and fell into Jay's arms. _Ah, children_ , thought Mogo, recalling the vague memories of childhood. Jay scooped Keiran into his embrace as well, and as the unlikely trio hugged, the smiling boy proclaimed a message Mogo would never forget:

"Did you guys hear that? We're all going to be Jedi! All three of us! We'll be a Jedi team!"

Larrel smiled at his new friend's enthusiasm, and for the first time in a while, so did Keiran. No, this was not a day Gar Mogo would forget. If only things had turned out how Jay had dreamed. If only the life of a Jedi was so simple.

 _Coruscant_

The day had come.

The boys had completed years of studying in the Jedi Academy. They had gone to Ilum to receive their kyber crystals, and they had crafted their own lightsabers. They were ready.

The Initiate Trials were the final hurdle before the younglings could graduate and become Padawans. They were intense examinations filled with physical, mental, and emotional challenges. Those who let the Force guide and help them would become apprentices to the Jedi.

Jay was excited that the day had in fact come. He was entering his fifteenth year and was ready to finally leave the Academy. The truth was that he could have left earlier, but as always, he stuck to Larrel. Larrel, thirteen, was by no means a bad student - just fairly average. His Force powers left something to be desired, but he grew into an eager learner, and no one worked as hard as him. This, along with help from his friends Jay and Keiran, had all but abolished the shy, bullied boy from the Gathering.

Keiran too, had grown. Spending hours practicing with Jay in a friendly rivalry, and working long into the night helping Larrel levitate and throw weights, had made the black sheep from the Outer Rim into a much more talkative, more friendly boy. His two friends helped him bury the dark thoughts that had once clouded his mind. The three had forged an unbreakable bond. The trials, however, were not a group event.

The first of the Initiate trial was the most basic: Force testing. Younglings were judged and evaluated based on their ability to levitate and move objects without moving their body. The final objective was the lightsaber summoning: students would stand in a small white ring in the center of the room, and call their lightsaber to their hands from a compartment in the wall.

Jays trial went well, if a little rough. The first attempt was too good; the lightsaber moved too fast and hit him in the face before he could catch it. Jay, despite the bruise, laughed. Grand Master Caelin, along with Instructor Gar Mogo and Jedi Knight Qulok (the overseers of the trial) looked at each other up above in the overseer booth before laughing themselves.

"Alright Jay, do not worry. A simple mistake - you pulled a little too hard. Just relax." Caelin said with a smile. He quite enjoyed watching the trials, seeing the new generation of Jedi grow.

Jay smiled, nodded and readied himself. He closed his eyes and set his shoulders, then raised his hand out to his side. The lightsaber was already moving, landing with a solid smack into Jay's hand. He quickly shifted his stands and raised his saber into the ready position. A buzzer sounded, and he once again heard Caelin's voice over a speaker.

"Very good Jay! You've passed Part One of your Initiate Trials with high scores. Please proceed into the next room for Part Two." Jay smiled his classic smile, did a quick bow, and all but sprinted into the next exam room.

Keiran followed his friend, and easily called his lightsaber. He advanced into the next room as soon as possible. Currently, the blonde boy had higher marks than Jay, but it was still early, and Instructor Mogo was eager to see which youngling ended on top, though he had no doubts that both would excel. The third, Larrel, was an unknown. He would pass, of that much was certain, but by how much?

Studying with Keiran had paid off. Larrel was able to move through the obstacles with little hiccups, and surprisingly, pulled in his saber on his first try. The second trial, though, was where he stunned the observers.

Larrel, naturally tall and quick, had always favored the lightsaber. But no one expected the absolute spectacle he put on during trial two. The combat drill was designed to test reflex and swordplay, filled with drones that shot irritating but otherwise harmless lasers, and training droids equipped with practice lightsabers. Larrel flew through the course, deflecting shots with ease and cutting down the droids in seconds. He moved with a speed and grace that left the instructors speechless. Normally, skill with a lightsaber had a direct link to skill with the Force, seeing as only those who could let themselves be guided by the Force could truly master the weapon. But here was a boy whose Force skills were just around average, and yet had achieved saber proficiency through sheer training and determination alone. Mogo was most proud of Larrel, for he, without the natural gifts of his peers, had achieved a perfect score in the second phase, higher than Jay or Keiran's admirable scores.

The final trial would be the most revealing. The children sat on mats and meditated, eyes closed, while they were placed in mental scenarios by the instructors. The overseers' hallucinations presented the boy's with tough decisions that would test their resilience and dedication to the light. Larrel, who often struggled with self-confidence, was able to overcome his nightmare: a Sith, offering to teach him in the ways of the Force. Though his face was streaked with tears by the end, he stayed true to the Jedi way, and was ready for graduation.

Keiran barely passed the trial.

He was subjected to harsh memories of his past, though the Jedi did make exaggerations. In Keiran's mind, large shadowy figures threw him away like garbage, and the Jedi reluctantly picked him up. The dark side was calling to him; it offered him the power to disprove the ones who doubted him, to seek vengeance in those who abandoned him, to surpass Jay in every way. The rivalry had always been friendly, but now Keiran felt inferior to the friend heralded as a prodigy. He reached out for the power, but at the last second he jerked back, repulsed by his own weakness of mind. The negative emotions swirling in his brain changed from anger to sadness, as now he was alone. There were no spirits, no voices, only a crossroads. One was dark and stormy, and he knew there would be treasure at the end. But on the other road were his friends, arms out waiting for him, like on Ilum eight short years ago. He turned his back to the storm and walked towards the light. He awoke to the face of his friend Larrel, tearing up over something about dreams coming true.

Jay was the last of the three to go. Having completed the lightsaber trial fairly quickly, he was anxious after being forced to wait over an hour to start his final leg. _This is most likely a test of my patience_ , thought Jay. He was not about to fail on this. Finally, after an eternity of meditation, Quĺok fetched him for his mind test. When Jay entered the room, the Instructor and Grand Master were waiting for him.

The Instructor looked friendly, smiling as he often did. The turquoise alien had completely red eyes that would look menacing on anyone other than Gar Mogo. He had known Jay for years, and the boy was quite proud to see Master Mogo would be with him as he graduated from the Academy, as he was there when he entered.

Grand Master Caelin was an older, blonde human man with a thick bushy beard. His blue eyes looked stern, but the man was known for his fair reputation. An honorable, respected man, the Jedi were proud to have him lead the Council, as well as the entire Order. Caelin had assumed the role of Master of the Order when the previous Master fell to the Sith whilst retaking the Temple. There was a monument to him, but Jay had forgotten his name.

As the Togruta Jedi Qulok joined them, Jay knelt down onto the padded floors and closed his eyes. No words were spoken. He simply breathed deeply, and the artificial sleep created from the three Jedi flowed over him, and he began to dream.

It was Dea Mor. The city where he had been born. He had only vague, infant memories, but yet he instantly felt at home. White marble mansions surrounded him; he was in an elegant courtyard, with a fountain and several well-trimmed shrubs. All was at peace, until it all exploded.

Heavy blaster fire rained down from the sky, destroying the fountain and burning the bushes. Jay dove out of the way at the last second, and quickly scaled the nearest house with the help of the force. Looking out from his new vantage point, an enormous dark ship emerging from the clouds had begun a vicious assault on the city.

"Beautiful, aren't they? The fires?

Jay turned to see a man towering over him, wielding two flaming swords. He spoke like a monster, and his eyes were endless pits of shadow. He raised his blade, ready to strike.

"I suppose it would be wrong of me to purge this planet without doing the full job. Dont worry, Ill make it quick. Relatively, at least."

The man-beast swung his swords down at Jay. With only a moment to spare, the blades' flames searing his skin, at the last possible second...

Jay did nothing.

He did not move, or jump, or brandish his weapon. He simply stood and watched the blades tear through his skin. He felt pain, terrible pain, but it came with a large asterisk. It wasn't real. How could he be able to complete the trial if it was all so blatantly false? Really, he had expected the Masters to come up with something at least semi-realistic.

Jay opened his eyes to three frowning faces. He instantly knew that he had done something wrong. "Jay...how did you see through that illusion?" Grand Master Caelin's voice was stern, but not overtly angry. Rather, disappointed.

"Well sir, I'm not entirely sure. It all just felt like one of those holofilms we watch in class."

The three elders looked at each other in disbelief. Qulok spoke up, her voice sounding quite concerned. "My boy, the three of us, all experienced Jedi, work together to weave these visions specifically to be as real as possible, and the sleep we put you under should dull your senses enough to believe them. And yet, we could sense you were not fooled from the start. How is this possible?"

Jay shrugged.

The three masters were stunned. This had never happened before, in the history of the Order. Qulok threw Instructor Gar Mogo a quizzical look and spoke.

"Did you teach him this trick, Gar Mogo? If so, I feel left out. You never taught me any special mind-defense techniques."

The Duros Instructor chuckled. "No, Qulok. This is something neither I nor any of his teachers could have taught them. It must be a natural skill." Caelin had remained silent, his head in his hands. They had all known Jay to be… special, in regards to the Force, but to completely void part of the Initiate Trials.

"Well, we need a solution. Jay, it is clear that you are skilled in the Force, and I am confident that you would be able to defend your mind, given that you could repel us. You have passed the Initiate Trials, though I know not what score to give you, and I hereby grant you permission to attend and participate in the Jedi Training Academy Graduation Ceremony."

With their trials complete, the ceremony was upon them. The younglings - who were now in their early teens - had passed all the trials and were eligible to become Padawans. It had been several days since the trials, and now all the younglings who passed had gathered in a spacious auditorium to listen to Gar Mogo call out their first overall pick was Keiran. He was chosen by [Friend's Master], a young but powerful Jedi Master from Corellia. [Friend's Master]'s easy going nature would help quell the darkness in Keiran. Jay was not selected, but rather given, to an old Quarren master who had apparently worked as Head of the Jedi Archives for several years. They would not be able to see their masters until the next day, so the three met in their dormitories to discuss the ceremony.

Larrel was the first to speak. "I know what you two are thinking. No, I did not get selected."

Keiran and Jay exchanged worried looks. Not selected? They didn't even know what happened when a youngling was denied a master. Jay opened his mouth to offer words of comfort, but Larrel cut him off.

"I didn't get selected because I volunteered for the Temple Guard. They accepted me, and I start training tomorrow."

Once again the boys were speechless. The Jedi Temple Guard was an elite group of warriors who protected and defended the various Jedi Temples across the galaxy. Larrel would require a few more years of guard training, which in his case would be oriented towards improving his Force prowess.

"That's great! You'll be great! You're better with a lightsaber than either me or Keiran. I bet you'll be the best guard ever!"

Larrel smiled, but turned more serious. "Thank you, but… I won't be training on Coruscant. I don't know how often I'll see you guys." The boys all looked down, realizing the reality of their futures.

"Well, neither do we." Keiran spoke up, looking increasingly concerned. "We'll each be travelling with our own masters. What if we never see each other again?!"

"Relax, relax." said Jay. "I'm sure we'll find a way. Jedi do joint missions all the time, and whenever we visit a temple we'll be able to see Larrel. Even if we can't, nothing can break us up. Distance, time, even the Sith. We have a bond that's, well, unbreakable!"

Larrel smiled. Jay always found a way to cheer them up. "I suppose you're right, Jay. No matter what you're my friends. Right, Keiran?"

The blonde boy was smiling too. There were tears in his eyes as he spoke.

"Of course, my friends. I'll always be with you two."

A few short hours of laughter, tears, and embraces later, the three parted ways, none of them knowing when they would see each other again. Jay reached the Archives, where he found an old creature with tentacles on his face and hands. He wore a long brown Jedi robe over his standard uniform, and handed an identical, if smaller robe to the teenage human. His pale blue eyes had a faint glimmer to them.

"Hello, young one. My name is Setava, and I shall be your master."

"Are we going to go on a lot of missions, Master?"

The twinkle in his eyes gave life to Setava's old bones. His face-tentacles wiggled in a Quarren smile. "Yes, young one, I believe we will."


	3. Chapter 3

**III - Memories of the Lost**

Jay had forgotten the name of the planet they were on. Somewhere in the Outer Rim, he knew, far from Coruscant. He was flying at top speed aboard Setava's rented landspeeder towards the nearest settlement. Snapping out of his own brain, the memories of trials and friendships faded as he looked at his master, barely breathing in the passenger seat.

As soon as he was positive that both Sith were gone, he lifted the old Quarren onto his back and sprinted back the way he had came. Had it not been for the Force guiding his path, he would have surely been lost for days. Instead, with adrenaline pumping through his veins, he had made it to the surface and took off in a dead sprint for the speeder, and the medic kit stored below it. The basic bandages and formulas in the case had helped steady Setava's heartbeat, but not much else. He needed medical attention, fast.

The speeder had bolted away from the mountains like lightning, and Jay was nearing the town where they had landed their ship near. The humid jungle planet had several small ports like these, but no official cities. Jay pulled the speeder up to the first house he could reach, killed the engine, and threw his master back onto his shoulders. Jay ran as fast as he possibly could into the building, which turned out to be a cantina.

"Help! Medicine! Please! Help!" he cried, hoping the locals understood Basic. The grey skinned patrons, who had pointed ears and purple hair, did. The bartender, a heavy male with a scarred, ugly face, yelled something Jay barely heard, and a small rolling droid rolled out swiftly from behind the counter.

"Follow." the bartender said with an unfamiliar accent.

"Thank you, thank you." Jay replied, and he saw a small nod before he burst out the doors.

The escort droid raced through the streets, Jay doing his best to follow with the added weight of his master. The little robot led him past several huts as Jay looked around and got a good look around. The wooden houses were closely pulled together, the streets gravel against the lush jungle foliage. Many of the planet's inhabitants could be seen training, sparring with staffs and doing basic exercises. A warrior culture, most likely.

Jay finally reached his destination, a slightly larger than average building with a sign out front that Jay couldn't read. He hoped it said medicine. The droid paused at the door, spun around a few times, and began its return trip to the bar.

"Thank you!" Jay called out, before realizing the small robot probably didn't have a complex enough AI to understand, or care. He shook away the thought and kicked open the door, as both hands held on to Setava. Inside, it was indeed an infirmary, with several female aliens tending to wounded warriors. Every head whipped around to look at them, and before they could scream, pull out blasters or do anything at all, Jay began speaking in a relatively calm voice:

"This man is hurt, badly. He needs stabilizing. I can be gone with him soon, but he needs help now. Please, I can pay." He used simple words because he did not know how much Basic these people knew, if any. With the words came the Force, as Jay used just a bit of mind persuasion to help get his point across, even if they could not understand what he was saying. The message was clear: Help, now. Credit reward.

The nearest two nurses, one male and the other female, took Setava off his back and laid him out on a table, where they began speaking rapidly in their native tongue. A female in a gold uniform, clearly the person in charge here, came up to Jay and spoke to him.

"We will help your friend, stranger, but we ask for space. Please, return in a few hours. He will be healed."

"Hours?!" Jay felt uneasy about leaving his possibly dying master with people he had just met - but they _were_ helping him. He sighed, and reluctantly agreed. "Alright. I will return by sundown."

The woman nodded, and gave him a comforting smile. "Lasat medicine is good. This man will be ready for travel soon. Do not worry."

Jay thanked the doctor and left the hut. Lasat, she had said. These people were Lasat, so this planet was Lasan. Yes, the names were flowing back now. Lasan was indeed a jungle planet in the Outer Rim, with a warrior people who revered strength and honor. He looked around the village, which was actually larger than he first estimated. Many more houses lay in the distance, among the great viney trees. _A beautiful planet_ , Jay thought. But how was he to pass the remaining hours until the suns fell?

 _The tablet_ , he thought, _of course!_ If the Sith had fled, they may have left the tablet behind. But how could he leave Setava alone? Thinking on his feet, he ran back to the speeder and pulled out the two commlinks that came with the vehicle. Looking around, he grabbed the nearest two Lasat and pulled them aside. They were tall, well over two meters, with muscled arms and legs and similarly built torsos. One had braided locks of purple running down his head, with a clean face. The other was bald, but had a long beard, also braided.

"Excuse me, but are you two... competent warriors?" He asked them, before realizing that the question may offend a proud race such as the Lasat. Luckily, he had assumed wrong, or the two he found just had a good outlook, because instead of murdering him on the spot they began to laugh. The one with the beard responded in a thick accent, still laughing through his words.

"Of course, outsider. Any Lasat is worth a squad of human fighters. Why, do you wish to spar?"

Jay shook his head. "No, sirs, I mean to hire you. As guards. Not for me, but for my master, in your medcenter."

The two Lasat looked at each other before laughing once again. Jay grit his teeth again. Having just faced Atros and his maniacal cackling, he was quite sick of laughter.

"Outsider," spoke the second Lasat, "if your friend is in our village, he is safe. There are warriors in every building, on every street. Why would you waste your money on more protection?".

Jay was getting desperate. "I just… I would like the extra sense of security. He is very important to me." The men looked still unconvinced. Jay considered using the Force, but he knew of another universal incentive. "Do you want the credits or not?"

The two Lasat looked intrigued. "Hmm, not much use for republic creds on Lasan." the first Lasat said.

"Yes, but what about when the merchants come?" replied the second.

"Oh, yes, that's true. They'd take creds."

"And when we're offworld on jobs, we can use 'em. Sounds like a good deal to me, Jaz."

The first Lasat thought about it for another minute. "Alright, Daz, that sounds good. How much are you offering, human?" he said, turning back to Jay.

The Padawan was agitated. He had hoped to be off to the caves by now. He, or rather, his master, had been given 7500 emergency credits by the Order, to be used to help find the location of the tablet. Luckily, Setava had felt the presence of the tablet immediately, and the pair still had all their credits. Jay planned on paying the medics, but the Order wasn't expecting any money back, so he could afford to spend it on the two.

"5000 credits," Jay offered, not sure if that was anywhere near the average fee for a bodyguard. The two Lasat scratched their beards in thought.

"5000? Not bad, do you think Daz?"

"A little modest, Jaz, but it's just sitting around in the med hut all day. How long will it be, short one?"

Jay was anxious to depart, but was caught off guard. He was almost two meters tall, always considered tall - for a human at least. "Short? I'm- Nevermind! It'll only be a few hours. Take the credits, please, and you'll have the favor of the Jedi to go with it." He pulled the credits he had taken from the speeder and shoved them into the hands of the closer Lasat. He turned and jumped into the speeder, and blasted off for the cave.

"Jedi! Did you hear that, Jaz! That boy was a Jedi! Can you belie-"

"Yes, I believe it, Daz! That human had a lightsword or whatever they're called on his belt, and those robes were definitely Jedi."

"Well, now we have to take the job. I'm not about to aggravate those mystical creeps from Coruscant."

"Aye. And he already gave us the money. We might as well do the job. Unless…"

"I'm no thief, Jaz, and neither are you."

"I know, I know, I was just saying."

"Well quit saying and get moving, we've got a Jedi to guard!"

The cave was cold and dark, just as before. The tunnel walls were made up of an odd, dark green rock, that became black as he descended into the tunnels. The winding passages and sloping floors of the cave system repeated endlessly, but Jay was able to find his way. Memories of a certain rock, or a strange wall design, helped him retrace his steps as he approached the main, large room of the cavern. Jay began to worry. What if the Sith had returned? He could not face the two alone. Then again, he had fended them off before… no, it was too risky. He had to form a plan. Unfortunately, there was no time, and he reached the immense cavern sooner than expected.

The cave floor was strewn with rocks, the ceiling having partially collapsed during Atros's escape. He made his way towards the far side of the cave, switching on his saber to provide some much-needed light. Jay stepped over what he could, and jumped over the rest. He looked around for Setava's lightsaber, or perhaps Atros's, which had been lost in the fight and subsequent cave-in. It was nowhere to be found. He considered trying to search with his mind, but decided against it. Jay had more important work to do. Besides, creating a new lightsaber was hardly a difficult process, if rather time-consuming. Having reached the far side of the cave, he found the source of the strange light he had recalled seeing before the fighting began. The dark red glow came from several small, cylindrical objects mounted on the walls, their tips lit crimson from some unknown power source. They illuminated a narrow tunnel leading deep into the earth, a rough staircase carved in many years ago. These were the stairs Atros and his apprentice had guarded, the stairs that undoubtedly led to this ancient Sith tablet.

The apprentice! She had completely disappeared from his thoughts, but returned with a vengeance. The Chiss girl had put up a seriously challenging fight, but as far as Jay knew, the rocks had crushed her. The poor girl, he thought. He had never meant to kill her, and felt great sorrow knowing she was dead because of him. Jay resolved to find her body, however broken it was, and give her a proper burial. Even though she was of the dark side, she was young, and most likely could have had a bright future had Atros not corrupted her. Jay focused himself on the task at hand first; grieving for a Sith would help no one. He descended down the steep staircase, leaving his regrets in the dark with the dead Chiss.

As he walked down for what seemed like an eternity, Jay heard a low, humming sound. Almost like the sounds of an insect, but of a deeper pitch. It was soft at first, but the deeper he went, the louder the noise became. He attributed it to some alien bug, as it seemed the logical explanation; but the sound felt different. Omnipresent, with no clear source, and for some reason Jay felt like the sound had been here long before he arrived. Like it had been here before any insect or bug. Like it had been part of the cave.

Far, far below the surface, down a hundred stairs and through another set of tunnels, was a final chamber. The odd lighting devices had continued down the stairs and into the final chamber, a small and circular room, empty but for a lone, waist-high pedestal, made from the same dark stone that made up the chamber walls. Jay felt cold, very cold, as soon as he stepped in the room, despite Lasan's tropical climate. The humming he had detected before had grown louder, and now sounded like a steady, vibrating buzz in his own skull. He looked to pedestal and saw the artifact they had traveled so far for, the thing he and his master had fought and bled for.

The tablet.

It was nothing, really: a sheet of grey stone with runes carved in its face, words of an ancient and forgotten language. And yet it was everything. It was beautiful and terrible, and it radiated promises of power and death. It called out to him, to take and study it, to learn the secrets of the shadows. With this, he could destroy the Sith. He could heal his master. He could achieve everything he ever wanted. Jay knew he was meant to have it, destined to have it. Jay reached out slowly, and as his fingers brushed it's cold, wondrous surface, he felt the world fall away from under him, time and space slipping away. Only the Force remained, and it spoke to him in visions.

 _At first Jay thought he was Atros, but while the man in his mind looked similar, it was clear that this was someone altogether different. His hair was dark, but not as long, and the sinister look in the savage Sith's eyes was replaced with a curiosity Jay had never seen. He watched as the man poured over scrolls and holocrons, studying long into the night, before several men in Jedi outfits, brown cloaks and all, appeared and forced the dark-haired man to flee, disappearing from his view as the library turned to smoke and the Jedi to ash._

 _His vision changed, and now the same man stood high above Jay on a peak overlooking desolate sands and endless mountains. He spoke in a language he didn't recognize, and around Jay came hundreds of men and women in black robes, surrounding him and chanting back at the man in the same language. They swarmed the mountain, trampling Jay and burying his body in the sand._

 _The dust cleared from his vision, and he was back in the chamber, but not as he had left it. The man wore elegant black armor with a swirling cloak, and he commanded an acolyte in the same, ugly language. The disciple finished his work, and when he stepped back and revealed the two stone tablets he had carved, Jay felt his stomach churn. The dark-haired master raised his hands and began a vicious incantation, and as his vision swirled and changed once more, he saw dark energy flow from the man into the tablets._

 _He was on another planet, looking down on a sprawling city. It burned, black smoke creeping from every building and into the air like poison. Black robed men slew anyone who tried to oppose them with scarlet sabers, and enchained the rest. The dark-haired man walked the streets, apparently approving of all the destruction. He turned and looked up to the roof of a building, where Jay stood. He smiled a terrible smile, and spoke in words Jay could finally understand._

" _And now, prodigy, my Empire is born, and a century of Sith rule shall follow. You may destroy us, but one day we will rise again, and the child of prophecy will destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy."_

Jay fell hard on his back, struggling for air. He heard - no, felt - the humming return like a cerebral earthquake, causing eye-shutting pain. When he reopened them after the pain subsided, the world stopped spinning and he looked up at the ceiling of the chamber. His right arm felt terrible, tingling and aching. He raised his hand, sure that the tablet had burned it. Yet his fingers had remained unharmed. Shaking his head, he lifted himself back onto his feet. The tablet was still whispering to him, that black language hiding in his head. What had he seen? _How_ had he seen it? Jay still felt cold, shivers running down his spine. He looked back at the tablet, which seemed larger than it had before. Whatever this thing was, it was evil, and it was still tempting him. He took off his Jedi robe and threw it over the tablet, and picked it up wrapped the robe around the evil stone. Not only did this silence the voice, but Jay had no intention of touching the tablet ever again.

The long walk back up the stairs felt even longer, and the bundle he cradled felt heavier than it should have. Jay focused on positive thoughts to keep his mind at peace, like memories of his Gathering or his long talks with Setava. As he reached the top of the stairs, his thoughts were interrupted by an odd noise. A groan of pain, with a familiar sound to it, from the western wall of the cave. Jay's eyes widened in the dark, as he realized who it must be.

Noira was her name, and she was a Chiss female. Those were the first thoughts in his head as he ran over to where she lay. She looked up at Jay, her body trapped against the floor due to a large boulder pinning her leg. Upon realizing who had come for her, she groaned once more.

"Kill me now, Jedi boy, and spare me from the suffering of your voice."

Jay frowned. "I will not kill you, for that is not the Jedi way. I wish to help you"

The Chiss glared at him and spat at his feet. "Then you will die. Let me live and I swear by the Force that I shall hunt you down and cut your throat."

Jay smiled. "You need not hunt me down; you won't be leaving my sight. I'm taking you back to the Jedi Temple for questioning and imprisonment."

The Chiss girl laughed. "What makes you think I won't kill you on the way, scrawny boy?"

Jay looked down at himself, realizing that perhaps he did need to put on a few pounds. Regardless, the woman's insult did not sting. "You are weak, and I already defeated you once at your full strength."

Noira growled at him but did not speak. Jay continued. "Besides, I'm the only one who will help you. Even if you do kill me, where will you go? To the master who abandoned you? To the Sith, who will cast you out for your failures? You'll be hunted as a Jedi-killer, and executed once found. With me, you have a chance." As he spoke, Jay raised his left hand, the one not holding the tablet, to lift the rock off of Noira's leg. Jay assumed that her weakened physical state had taken a toll on her powers as well, as she had not been able to lift the boulder herself, but it was just a simple tug for himself.

With the boulder moved, and Noira struggling onto her good leg, Jay extended his free hand. "Come quietly and peacefully, and this affair will be over before you know it." As they were still somewhat close to the stairs, faint red light revealed her face. She did not look pleased. Noira looked at him, hate in her eyes, and then glanced at the tablet. Jay could see her eyes widen. He sighed, knowing that her mind would not hold. She turned to him with a smirk.

"Yes, this will be over soon."

As she spoke, Noira leapt off her good foot and threw her boy out at Jay, fist extended Had he not anticipated the attack, she may have caught him off guard. Instead, he was able to sidestep her easily, and without a body to stop her, Noira crashed onto the ground, where Jay planted his foot on her back.

"I'll ask you once more. Come with me peacefully, or you will certainly lose the fight you desire."

Ignoring his request, Noira reached her hand out, and her Force powers must have returned, for her lightsaber came spinning out of the dark. Before it reached her hand, Jay pulled upon it himself, and the weapon quickly changed direction and landed in his open hand. He stepped off the Chiss and ignited her lightsaber, the infamous hiss filling the room as the red blade flowed out.

"I will win every round of this game. I have no wish to harm you, but if this is what it takes to get you to move, I'll do it." He pointed her own blade at her, and Jay saw a tear of frustration slide down her blue face.

The speeder ride back to the village was… awkward, to say the least. Jay had to pilot the landspeeder, while also keeping track of Noira and the tablet. Several times she attempted to bail over the side of the vehicle, but every time Jay caught her by her belt and tugged her back into her seat. Finally, they reached the outskirts of the settlement, where a Lasat was tending to some odd orange crops. He looked up and for a moment seemed confused, but soon returned to his work. _Not an easily startled people_.

He grabbed Noira by the arm with his left hand and tucked the tablet, still wrapped in his Jedi robe, under his right. He led the girl into the clinic, slowly due to her constant limping. Fortunately, she seemed to have realized just how futile her situation was, and remained relatively calm and did not try to escape.

The Lasat infirmary was a low, long hut made of the same thin wood that all the other houses were made of. Wood cots covered in white fabric lined the walls, and on one, on the right wall, far back, lay his master. The old Quarren looked paler than usual, eyes closed and breathing heavy. As he approached, Jay was happy to see that the two Lasat he had hired were flanking the bed, as another Lasat probed Setava with a small metal device. The guards looked up, relieved to see Jay.

"Oh, there he is, Daz. Oi! Jedi! You didn't say you'd be coming back with company. Who's the lovely lady?" Referring to Noira, obviously, the two Lasat ogled the girl like she was the first woman they'd ever seen. To be fair, the Chiss was certainly more appealing than the Lasat women, at least in Jay's mind, but he tried not to think about her appearance. The men approached her, but Jay put out his hand to stop the two.

"She's not lovely, she's a dangerous criminal, and I'd trust you to be careful around her. Anyways, thank you for protecting my master. Were there any disturbances?" The men seemed baffled that this young girl could be a criminal, but were able to focus on Jay. The one who hadn't spoken already, Daz, held his head high.

"No, sir, absolutely zero disturbances. We protected him right and good we did. Although, at one point, he did wake up."

"Yes," continued his companion, Jaz, "he woke up for a few minutes. All he did was pull out this little metal ding-dong and then mumble into it before he passed out again."

A metal… ding-dong? Did they mean the comlink? Jaz pulled the device out of his pants and handed it to Jay. Indeed, the odd cylindrical "ding-dong" was in fact the Jedi comlink they had been given. He looked back to the Lasat. "What did he say into it?"

Jaz shrugged. Daz spoke for him. "Didn't really hear. Said Lasan a couple times, though."

Jay realized who his master had called just as he heard the sound of a ship, landing outside the hut. He smiled, tired but relieved. They were safe.

Walking outside, still guiding Noira at the arm, Jay saw the vehicle: A medium-sized, silver Jedi starship. A blue Republic crest was painted on the right side, and on the left was a small, serial number. It's slender wings folded up as the ship fully landed. Three armed Republic guards stepped down from the retractable walkway that slid out from the bay doors. Behind them came two Jedi Jay did not recognize. One was a Wookie, tall and we'll built. He had striking green eye and the hair near the top of his head was tied back in a high warrior's ponytail. The other was a Zabrak, female. She looked relatively human, except for the small horns protruding from around the top of her head. Both wore the typical Jedi outfit, white cloth tunics with matching pants, all underneath hooded brown cloaks. The surrounding Lasat stopped and marveled at the starship; a logical reaction, seeing as the ship had touched down in the middle of the village and poured out strange men with blasters. A few looked wary and placed hands on weapons of their own, but most recognized the Republic symbols and knew that the ship came in peace.

The soldiers flanked the ship but looked relatively calm, however the two Jedi looked anxious. One, the Zabrak female, seemed especially worried. "You are Master Setava's pupil, yes? Where is he? Is he hurt?" she exclaimed, her words falling out of her mouth rapidly.

Jay waved towards the hut behind him. "He's in there, and he's alright for now, but he-". The Zabrak brushed him off and ran into the house. Saving his questions for later, he turned to the second Jedi, the Wookie. "Hello, friend. This one is a Sith, a prisoner. Take her, will you."

The Wookie twitched a bit at the word 'Sith', but other than a brief noise that Jay assumed to signify understanding, he barely reacted. He took Noira out of Jay's arm, and as the tall, furry warrior held the girl in the light of the Lasan sun, Jay got a good look at the Chiss for the first time. He hadn't really studied her yet, as in their cave duel light was low, and he was not exactly focused on her appearance then, or during the speeder trip for that matter. But here in the middle of the street he was finally able to look upon her with a clear mind and an open eye.

Had the girl not been a vicious wielder of the dark side of the Force who had tried to murder him not too long ago, he would have thought Noira to be rather comely. Her skin was not an offensively bright or vibrant blue, but rather a darker, warmer shade. Her cheekbones were sharply defined and her lips were thin, but not excessively so. Her eyes, which Jay had assumed to be entirely red, actually had pupils and irises, though the latter were red as well, making them a tad hard to discern. In the cave he had thought her hair black, but in the light in was in fact another shade of blue. A very dark blue, almost black, but not quite.

Noira noticed Jay's gaze and scoffed before she was yanked away by the Wookie. Jay continued to study her as she left. She was of average height, about two tenths of a meter shorter than him, with a slim figure. She wore a tight, all-black outfit he assumed was some sort of Sith battlesuit. When his eyes reached her swaying hips he decided to look away, feeling color in his cheeks. Jay had always been comfortable around attractive women - he simply didn't feel much interest towards them - but now, for some reason, he felt embarrassed. _Of all the women in the galaxy, it's a Sith that catches my eye. Wonderful._

Guilt filled his heart as Jay realized he had been eyeing a woman instead of tending to his wounded master. Rushing back into the medical hut, he saw the Zabrak lifting Setava up and onto a separate cot, held by a Lasat nurse, only this bed had wheels. She spoke quietly to the nurse, handed her a small sack of what Jay assumed to be credits, and began to wheel the cart out of the hut. She stopped for a moment upon seeing him, but then resumed and hurried out of the building. Jay followed her out, but turned around at the door to look back at the two warriors.

"Jaz! Daz!"

The pair looked up from their conversation and looked at Jay. He struggled to come up with what to say. He wasn't sure how helpful the two had been, but nevertheless, they had answered his plea. Jay decided that sometimes simplicity is the best path.

"Thank you."

The one with the long beard - Jaz, he thought - nodded at him with a smile, and his companion waved. The matter settled, Jay turned and ran to the starship .

The ship was cold. Every metal surface felt like ice, and he didn't have his robe to warm him. Sitting on a bench across from his master's bed, Jay looked down at the robe, a heap on the floor that covered the accursed tablet. He felt even colder now, and quickly returned his attention to his master.

Setava looked peaceful; if it weren't for the various wires and cords that connected him to a machine in the wall, Jay would've thought he was simply sleeping. At the foot of his bed (an uncomfortable looking red and white platform that slid out of the wall) stood the Zabrak, who was anxiously turning knobs and checking screens on the machine. A quiet beeping came from one of the monitors, which displayed several complicated numbers, and percentages that Jay decided not to care about. Finally, after several minutes of restless work, the female Jedi turned away from the machinery and collapsed on to the bench beside Jay with a light thump.

"He will live."

Her words made Jay sigh in relief. She continued: "The medicine the Lasat gave him was effective. It has slowed down his heart rate and made him easier to move and to heal. They gave him precious hours. Now the ship's on-board medic station should give us plenty of time to reach Coruscant, where the med-droids and doctors should be able to repair the hole and revive him.

"We got the call at the temple: Master Setava said you two encountered a Sith Lord and his apprentice, and it was they who wounded him." Her head turned and she gave Jay an inquisitive look. "He also said that you fended off both of them. How is that possible?"

Jay shook his head. "I don't know," he said quietly. "I don't know. It just happened. I needed to beat them… so I did."

The Zabrak looked puzzled and not at all satisfied. " Never mind," she said, "I have more important questions. First, what were you two doing all the way out here, on Lasan?"

Again Jay shook his head. "I cannot tell you. It is a classified mission from the Council. I'm sure Setava would tell you the same."

Jay had decided that the Zabrak did not like him, for she snarled and said "That is 'Master' Setava, to you." She looked frustrated, but once again moved to another question. "This Chiss girl, the one in the cargo hold with Jakeshi, she is a Sith, yes?"

Jay nodded.

"Is she the one who stabbed Master Setava?"

He felt hatred in her voice, and saw it in her eyes. "No. That was her master. He abandoned Noira, left her to die. That is the reason I was able to capture her."

"Noira? Oh, the Sith. Which leads me to my final question: Is she the reason for the evil presence I feel here on this ship? If so, she is very powerful. I can feel it, even from across the ship. I did not expect someone so weak looking to have this powerful of an aura. Her connection to the dark side must be strong. The Force is very strange in the way it chooses its…"

The Zabrak's voice slowly faded out of his ears as he lost focus. _She must not know about the tablet. Of course she doesn't, and perhaps it is better this way. Perhaps no one needs to know. The galaxy was better off when it was hidden away. I could just keep it to myself..._

"Excuse me!"

Jay snapped his head up, remembering the question. "Yes. She has a strong presence. Connection. Aura. Whatever you'd like to call it." The Zabrak saw that Jay was done with the conversation and stood.

"I shall check with the captain now. We should be at Coruscant soon." She turned to leave the room, looking worriedly at Setava's resting body before the automatic door slid shut behind her.

Jay suddenly had a very bad pain in his head. He opened a storage bin under the bench and placed the bundled tablet inside, then slammed the cabinet shut. Instantly the pain lessened. He stood and moved to his master's bedside. Master Setava looked unchanged - peaceful, as he did in everyday life. _Soon you will recover,_ thought Jay, _and all will be right again_.

The door on the other side of the room, the one the Zabrak had not left through, opened. The Wookie, Jakeshi, as the woman had called him, stepped through, nodding at Jay before crossing the room and entering the cockpit where the other Jedi had went. Realizing that there was no Jedi left to question him, he walked through the open left door and descended a steep, short staircase to enter the cargo hold. The long, expansive room had a low ceiling, and was dimly lit. All of the Republic soldiers not responsible for flying the ship were here, guns trained on Noira. The Chiss was on the floor, sat against the wall with her legs crossed and eyes closed. One soldier, with a more decorated uniform, turned to Jay as the latter entered the room.

"You're Jay, the third Jedi?" When Jay nodded, the soldier continued. "Sergeant Morris, sir. The Wookie Jedi, Jakeshi, was in here earlier. He put this one in a trance, see. Some injection or spray knocked her out. Should be quiet for a few hours."

Jay nodded again. "That's good. Safe." When the captain began to turn, a thought sprang to Jay's mind. "Sergeant," he said as Morris turned, "do you know these Jedi well?"

Morris shook his head. "Only Master Jakeshi. He led us on a few missions in the war a couple years ago. The girl, though, Devo Anig, don't know her. Apparently she was Setava's last apprentice, before, well, you."

 _So that's why she was being so crass._ Jay felt instantly sorry for judging the woman; he was probably acting the same way. He resolved to apologize to her, Devo Anig. Perhaps they could begin a conversation that only they could have; about Setava, and all his quirks. Jay smiled, remembering them fondly.

Just then, a voice from some unseen intercom buzzed in. The captain, Jay presumed.

"Attention passengers, we have arrived. Repeat, Operation Boomerang is a success. We have arrived at Coruscant."


End file.
